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------------ 1876 - A sample of Exoplanets that are good candidates for life.
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- In searching for extraterrestrial life we think to look for similar stars to our Sun and similar planets to our Earth. Habitable exoplanets are most likely found around middle-aged stars like our Sun and rocky planets like our Earth orbiting the right distance for liquid water to be on their surface.
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- Stars in the later stages of life become Red-Giant Stars. Our Sun will become one in another 5 billion years from now. The habitable zone of a star system is the region in which a rocky planet can orbit and maintain liquid water. Red Giants grow significantly in size. When our Sun transitions to this stage it will engulf Mercury and Venus. It will scorch Earth and Mars into barren rocks.
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- However, this expanded solar source will bring new worlds into the habitable zone. Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune with their 67, 47, and 13 moons will become the new habitable zones. Planets in a habitable zone remain friendly to life from 200 million to 9 billion years. The longer period is for stars with higher metal content.
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- If life existed below the surface of an icy world such as Europa or Enceladus the dramatic alteration in the warmer atmosphere could allow life to flourish. Red Giants would inflict powerful stellar winds. Bodies lacking sufficient gravity would lose their atmosphere to space. However, super-Earths and super - moons would have the gravity to maintain their atmosphere for a significant period of time.
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- In this past year Kepler Space Telescope has discovered another 1,284 new planets orbiting their stars. The total now is over 3,000 known exoplanets.
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- The rockier the planet, the closer to the habitable zone allowing liquid water , the more likely alien life will be roaming the terrain. Here are some of the new candidates to give a sample of what they are like:
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- Kepler -422b - has characteristics more habitable than even found on Earth. This near Earth sized planet was discovered in 2015. It is 1,100 lightyears away orbiting a star slightly cooler that our Sun.
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- Kepler - 186f - discovered in 2014 is Earth sized and in the habitable zone. It is 10% larger than Earth and a rocky planet. It is 500 lightyears away orbiting a cooler and redder star than our Sun.
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- Gliese - 6677Cc - discovered in 2011 orbit’s a type of cool, dim star called a Red Dwarf Star. It is 24 lightyears away. In the habitable zone it is 4 times the mass of Earth.
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- Alpha-Centauri is a 3 star system just 4 lightyears away. Our nearest stars. An Earth-like planet has not been discovered there but the potential is great that one must exist there in a habitable zone.
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- Trappist - 1 is an ultra cool dwarf star 40 lightyears away with 3 Earth sized planets in orbit. Two of these planets are tidally locked to the star so the same side is always facing the star. So, at the shadow line there could be formations of pockets of water that could harbor life.
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- Kepler - 22b - discovered in 2011, 600 lightyears away is the most Earth-like comfortably circling in the habitable zone. It is twice Earth size with an average room temperature of 72 degrees F.
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- Kepler - 62 - is 1,200 lightyears away. It is cooler than our Sun with two habitable planets discovered in 2013. They are slightly more massive than our Earth.
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- Kepler - 452b is a super-Earth 1,400 lightyears away orbiting a star that is 1.5 billion years older than our Sun, yet the same temperature. Our Sun is 4.6 billion years old.
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- Europa, one of Jupiter’s 67 moons, remains our best chance of finding extraterrestrial life. Its liquid ocean beneath the icy crust is interacting with the rocky core and could produce the life-giving chemicals. The cycling of oxygen and hydrogen would be a major driver for Europa’s ocean chemistry to be home to alien microbes.
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- Request these Reviews to learn more about Europa:
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- #1788, #1725, #1702, #1361, #1152, #812.
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- Request these Reviews to learn more about Exoplanets:
- #1874 - Will we likely find life n Exoplanets and Exomoons? Also lists 14 other Reviews available on the subject.
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- #1833 - Exoplanets are starting to reveal their secrets.
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- #1669 - How many planets are there? How is their mass and size determined?
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----- 707-536-3272 ---------------- Monday, May 23, 2016 -----
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